Daniel Cormier reveals why Brock Lesnar superfight never happened

Daniel Cormier says a WWE contract killed what could have been the biggest fight of his career.

Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic in 2018 to claim the UFC heavyweight title, and moments later Lesnar stormed the cage and shoved him, setting up a superfight that never materialised. On a recent YouTube Q&A, Cormier explained the fight collapsed when WWE paid Lesnar more than the UFC could match. "It didn't happen because the WWE gave him too much money, and he made the right choice," Cormier said, per MMA Fighting.

How the Lesnar call went down

Cormier said Lesnar rang him out of the blue while he was at his daughter's gymnastics event. "He goes, 'You knock him out, it's going to be Christmas early for your family because we're going to fight,'" Cormier recalled. Lesnar later sent a message before UFC 200 that read, "Merry Christmas, DC. I'm on UFC 200." Cormier noted every Lesnar bout cleared a million pay-per-views.

Instead of Lesnar, Cormier defended against Derrick Lewis. He admitted that during the cage confrontation, he was stunned by Lesnar's strength. "I tried to push him back, because I thought he pushed me soft, but he didn't even move," Cormier said.

Cormier and Lesnar both wrestled in junior college the same year before moving to Division I programmes. The former champion said he holds no grudge. "You talk about a man that money follows, it's Brock Lesnar."

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Morning Report | Daniel Cormier explains why Brock Lesnar fight fell through